The new mourning rituals come as society increasingly embraces all things digital. Nearly half of Americans own smartphones, according to the Pew Research Center. One in five owned a tablet in January, up from one in 10 in December. Eight in 10 are on the Internet — and two-thirds of those online users tap into social-media sites.

It’s a natural evolution for mourning to extend to the Web, says George Bonanno, a Columbia University psychology professor who has studied grief and trauma. The Internet facilitates traditional mourning rituals such as honoring a loved one, he says. It also gives the bereaved an opportunity to connect with supportive friends and family — even those who live far away.

funeralOne, a technology company that provides funeral homes with webcasting services, streamed 17,258 funerals last year, up from 768 funerals in 2008.

As customers become more accepting of the merging of digital and death, video streaming will become a more interactive, two-way exchange, [John] Reed predicts. Even if a close friend or relative is out of the country, he or she will be able to offer a eulogy that could be broadcast at the service.

Seeing the new mourning trends — and the potential to create new revenue streams — the conservative funeral industry is cautiously entering the digital arena.

Many of these businesses were hit hard during the economic downturn as families opted for lower-cost cremations and purchased discount caskets from the likes of Walmart and Costco. In turn, they’re open to exploring new business strategies.